Senior Military Official: U.S. Aid to Israel Strengthens Our Resolve to Enhance Power

Mohammad Hossein Baqeri, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran, reacted on Wednesday, September 21, 2016, during a military parade to the billions of dollars in military aid from the U.S. to Israel. Speaking at the military parade commemorating the anniversary of the start of the eight-year Iran-Iraq war, he stated, "Military exercises and drills of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue according to the established schedule and will not change under any circumstances, and whenever we deem it appropriate, we will announce it to the media." According to the Chief of Staff, "Any effort or statement to weaken Iran's defensive capabilities plays into the enemy's hands." General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri described the U.S. military aid package to Israel as a "desperate attempt to secure the flimsy security of this regime" and added, "This military support package makes us more determined to enhance our military power." He further stated that "the design and production of defense systems and equipment in various maritime, land, air, and missile fields will continue vigorously." The military parade on September 21 is usually accompanied by a speech from the President, but this year, due to Hassan Rouhani's presence in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, the speech was entrusted to General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri. During this event, new missile equipment and other Iranian weapons, including the Russian S-300 missile system, were unveiled. In the first week of September this year, Iranian state television showed images shortly after Ayatollah Khamenei's speech to Air Force commanders, claiming that a "complete S-300 defense system" made in Russia was around the "Fordow nuclear facility," which "despite all efforts to prevent its entry, has arrived in Iran." The release of those images received widespread attention and reactions in international media and among military and international policy analysts. This year, for the first time, the naval, land, and air forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps held a parade simultaneously in Bandar Abbas and in the waters of the Persian Gulf. In the military parade in Bandar Abbas, over 500 vessels, submarines, fighter jets, and helicopters were present, and "for the first time, Su-22 aircraft of the Revolutionary Guards" took flight. Additionally, the "Zolfaqar" missile, the newest Iranian missile, was officially unveiled at this event. The Tasnim news agency, which is known to be close to the IRGC, introduced this missile as "one of the most accurate" missiles made in Iran, which has a "cluster warhead" and "can accurately target dispersed ground targets, airstrips, etc." According to Tasnim, the Zolfaqar missile has been added to Iran's "long-range ballistic missile" arsenal. The Zolfaqar ballistic missile was showcased during the military parade in Bandar Abbas. Two missile systems, "Khatam 5 and 7," were also displayed in Bandar Abbas. The Tasnim news agency described the Khatam 5 missile system as "a highly mobile system with a tracking system" that "can detect, track, and destroy targets." The Khatam 7 missile system was referred to as "an autonomous system equipped with a tracking system with high maneuverability." The speaker at the military parade in Bandar Abbas was General Gholam Ali Rashid, commander of the Central Headquarters of Khatam al-Anbiya of the IRGC. General Rashid emphasized that the Iranian armed forces have not and will not take any provocative actions, but will respond decisively and firmly to any provocative actions that disregard the power and rights of the Iranian people. This IRGC commander reacted to the suggestion from U.S. military commanders to establish a direct communication line between Iranian and U.S. military forces to avoid miscalculations, saying, "You [U.S. forces] are caught in dangerous recurring miscalculations both in practice and in understanding regional issues; you are at fault because you are the aggressors." Recently, following an increase in the likelihood of tension and confrontation between Iran and the U.S. in the Persian Gulf waters, a senior official in the U.S. Navy emphasized the necessity for both countries to agree on common rules and principles and a type of communication line. Ali Fadavi, commander of the IRGC Navy, in response to that suggestion, told U.S. forces that they should end their presence in the Persian Gulf and leave the region. General Gholam Ali Rashid referred to the Iranian armed forces as the "source of security in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz" and described U.S. military forces, which he labeled as "aggressors," as the "source of insecurity in the region." The annual military parade of Iran is held on the last day of September each year to commemorate the anniversary of the start of the eight-year Iran-Iraq war.